She touched his side where he had been injured.
“I found it this morning. It feels like I have an immaculate seam.” He chuckled.
“You do, sort of. I had to cauterize much of the wound, as my grandmother taught me. Once that was accomplished, I stitched the top with silk. Hopefully, the stitches will dissolve in time on their own. The wound had been full of debris and puss, which probably accounted for several days of fever. I think Grandmère would have been pleased,” she said, with a smile in her voice.
“She must be a smart woman, your grandmother.” He had not expected to find someone with any medical training. This woman had undoubtedly saved his life. “I feel extremely fortunate to have been found by you and Dandie.” He smiled. “Are you sure I am not dreaming? Surely you are both angels on earth.”
“No, not angels,” she replied softly. “I did no more than anyone else would have. You were injured, and you needed help.”
“I am an enemy soldier,” he reminded her. She did not seem to notice.
“Yes, that is true,” she returned slowly. “However, you are also an injured man. The battle ended. And the right thing to do was to help you. There were others there who, thankfully, did not find you. They stripped the men of their uniforms and goods and left them for dead. You would not have been aided.”
He let that sink in for a moment or two. “Thank you for everything. I will do my best to leave as soon as I am able.”
“You are blind. You cannot leave,” she reminded him. “My grandmother should be home soon. She may have ideas on how we can get you to the English.”
“They may already have departed.” The reality struck him as soon as he said it.
“Ruff... ruff!”
“What is out there, Dandie?” She jumped up from the chair.
“Where are you going?” he whispered.
“There is a man outside the cabin.” She kept her voice in a whisper as she fumbled in a drawer. “Dandie, come with me.”
The door clicked shut behind her and he was suddenly alone again. Matthew was not sure he had ever felt so vulnerable in his life as sitting there in the dark, wounded and not able to see. He depended on a woman he had never seen, who had saved his life for which he could only be grateful. Now a stranger was nosing around outside, and he could not help. He heard the front door open and close. Fatigue shrouded him, and he was not sure how long he could keep his eyes open.
“Can I help you?” Matthew heard her say. He heard Dandie answer with a bark and a loud, guttural growl.
“I am looking for a soldier. I have reason to believe he may have traveled in this direction. Word is he could be gravely injured.”
Chapter Four
“No, sir. Ihave not seen one.” Bethany spoke up quickly, immediately chiding herself.She needed to answer only what was asked of her. How many times had Grandmother reminded her of that?She did not detect a British accent and was not sure this man was telling the truth.
“Are you here alone, Miss…?” he asked.
Bethany grew exasperated at his boldness to find her name. She had not offered it and wanted him gone. She took a deep calming breath. “Mr....”
“Sinclair,” he responded.
“Mr. Sinclair, I find your questions out of line. It is me and my dog, and this.” She patted the rifle that Grandmother had trained her to use. “I am trained to use this.” Bethany hated to bringBessyinto the conversation, but with Matthew in the bedroom, she needed to protect both. Papa had made sure she was a crack shot. “Are you working with the Americans or the British?” she inquired, hoping to gain information. He did not look like an American; however, without uniforms, it was hard to tell Americans from the British.
“I am here on behalf of his family in England. His father hired me to find him, having had nary a word from him in almost a year.”
“If the man was involved in the war and was a soldier, would that be unusual?” she asked, still trying to decide about the man.
He cleared his throat. “My sources told me he fought here a week ago, and I had hoped to finally catch up with him. When I heard they did not find him among the British dead, I had hoped...” His sentence waned. “I have received a missive discharging me of my services. But before I left, I wanted to try once more to find him.”
“We hear things in these parts. Do you have a name for this man, sir?” Suddenly Bethany was unsure. Matthew needed medical attention, and this man might be referring to him.
“If he was in that battle, he most likely died. The British lost thousands, and many bodies were unidentifiable. Still, he would have been an officer and they would have looked for him. In the hope he lived, I thought to search the surrounding areas within a five-mile radius,” he answered, appearing to study her.
Bethany grew more uncomfortable. “His name, sir?” she persisted.
“Colonel, Lord Longueville.”
